your're right, saps, I do seem to be anti-suburban.....and getting worst by the minute.......(and a little anti-establishment, as well..I probably need to work on that a little..

No , I don't have kids (I'm a very young 46).......my sister is the one who is married with 4 kids living that very suburban lifestyle in central jersey...

Great place to raise a family....

when I take jogs around there, everything seems so sterile, though.Hardly ever see anybody outside, etc.

But I have to remember, this is sis' life, not mine, and she's certainly happy with it. (although she is much more casual with her clothing styles, etc, than many of her neighbors, who would'nt be caught dead without the latest fashions, ...)

I suppose if a had a hubby and kids, I would think more suburban , as well...

All the action takes place backyard, on the decks, (barbecuing, etc)No front porches in that development..

As for me, I live in a condo about 10 miles from atlantic city...perfect environment for me.......

I like having the lake here to jog around, but yet be able to walk less than half a mile to a big supermarket, and some restaurants (AC sub shop!), etc....

10 miles from Alantic City sounds like a suburb to me. I don't know if I would catagorize Egg Harbor as "city" living.

But I get your gist. My wife and decided that if we could no longer afford to live in DC, we wouldn't live in a DC suburb. We'd definately find a less expensive place to live. The best part of living in DC, is actually living in DC. I know people who have homes in the suburbs and they only come into the city when they have guests. Seems like a waste to me. To live that close, and never come in the city.

you're right, Scorereader........I did'nt mean to make it sound like my town, Egg Harbor Township was city living; definitely not.....

I think of it more as a "bedroom community" for the employees of the Atlantic City casinos.....more than I think of it as a suburb, although the meaning is probably about the same.

We have a ton of brand new housing developments (replacing lots of woods).....where you DO need a car to get to the store...

With all the casino workers around (50,000 total) and the 24/7 hours around the clock, it does'nt really feel those "Stepford Wives" are in the neighborhood...

My condo development is a happy medium for me ,though, as it is right in the beginning of Egg Harbor twnship........(I'm not deep in the woods...although it would be nice to be able to afford the prices on those new $$ houses... ) and there's a nice condo lake here with ducks, turtles, but yet I can still walk about 1000 feet to those stores.

And when I walk over there, I'm pretty much already in the next town, Northfield

I know what you mean about Washington, DC......it definitely has a certain character to it....that Springfield, VA just can not replace!!I've explored DC a little , but I've always wanted to check it out more...(never been to Georgetown, for instance).....and there's supposed to be a real good cafeteria in another area...

I was excited even by the food court at Union Station!! (the one at 30th st station in Philly is good too.......love Delilahs (the fried chicken is sooooo good)

Roadfood People:................Here is part two for what I posted in the beginning of this thread...........

On the Cost (and Benefits) of Raising Kids

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child frombirth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talkabout sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:* $8,896.66 a year,* $741.38 a month, or* $171.08 a week.* That's a mere $24.24 a day!* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is: Don't have childrenif you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140?* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!* Glimpses of God every day.* Giggles under the covers every night.* More love than your heart can hold.* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.* A partner for blowing bubbles, and flying kites

* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said orhow your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:* finger-paint,* carve pumpkins,* play hide-and-seek,* catch lightning bugs, and* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:* keep reading the ''Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,''* watching Saturday morning cartoons,* going to Disney movies, and* wishing on stars.You get to* frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets, and* collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas,* receive hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day and cards with backwardletters forFather's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be ahero just for:* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,* taking the training wheels off a bike,* removing a splinter,* filling a wading pool,* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and* coaching a baseball team that never wins but alwaysgets treated to ice cream, regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:* first step,* first word,* first bra,* first date, and* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your familytree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary calledgrandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education inpsychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and humansexuality that no college can match. In the eyes of a child, you rankright up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo,scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police aslumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits.

So, one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. Thatis quite a deal for the price!